South Bend's Human Rights Commission office moving

SOUTH BEND -- The city's Human Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing laws that ensure people have fair access to education, employment, housing and public places.

But, for the past decade, its employees and clients haven't had access to proper accommodations inside the commission's office. The city-owned building at the edge of Howard Park doesn't even comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

That will soon change.

The South Bend Common Council unanimously approved a bill Monday that will enable the commission to move into a former Madison Center building at 319 N. Niles Ave.

The commission left the County-City Building about 10 years ago to allow other departments to expand, the commission's executive director, Lonnie Douglas, told council members Monday.

Since then, the commission has been operating at 301 S. St. Louis Blvd. in a two-story house the Works Progress Administration built more than 70 years ago. It has a historic look with a stone-and-wood facade, and ivy climbing across its exterior. The inside, however, just feels old.

"The air conditioning is -- at best -- sorry, and our heating system is antiquated, to say the least," Douglas said. "There is no insulation in the roof of the building, and we have two people working upstairs in that heat."

The commission's employees work in offices on three levels of the building -- some are in the basement -- which poses a problem for clients with disabilities.

The building's only restroom is attached to the conference room, where the commission holds public hearings on discrimination claims. If someone needs to use the restroom, the commission has to suspend the hearing until that person is finished.

The measure the council approved Monday will enable city officials to enter into a five-year lease agreement for about 3,000 square feet at 319 N. Niles Ave., which is less than a block north of LaSalle Avenue. The cost to the city will not exceed $45,000 annually.

The amount of space in the former Madison Center building is comparable to the commission's building at Howard Park, but all of the offices and conference room will be on the ground floor.

The building along Niles Avenue is owned by 319 Niles LLC, which is based in Mishawaka. The Indiana Secretary of State's office lists the company's registered agent as Chris Davey, who is president of Grubb & Ellis/Cressy & Everett.

Interim City Attorney Aladean DeRose said it would cost as much as $250,000 to bring the commission's office at Howard Park up to modern standards.

Chase Tower interest

Council members unanimously supported a resolution to reassert the importance of Chase Tower to downtown.

The 25-story hotel and office tower, which is the city's tallest building, has been in receivership since February 2011. Council member Henry Davis Jr., D-2nd, sponsored the resolution to urge city officials to do what they can to draw investment to the building.

"I think this building is too big to fail," Davis said.

WSBT-TV reported Monday that HREC Investment Advisors, the brokerage firm marketing the building, has accepted a bid for the property. Tom Sommer, the firm's vice president, said the bidder is not from the South Bend area, but he wouldn't provide any additional information.

HREC's acceptance of a bid does not make the sale official, but Mayor Pete Buttigieg called it a positive step.

Buttigieg said his administration has supported the Chase Tower sale process by helping potential investors obtain information about the building, but that doesn't mean he'll support using taxpayer money "to save the bank from taking a loss on a bad loan."